ARCHIVED - lt060901b

Letter

Ottawa, 1 September 2006

File No. 8661-C12-200608672 and 8661-B2-200605719

By Email

To:   Distribution list (Attached)

Re:  Telecom Public Notice CRTC 2006-10 - Continued need for the regulatory constraints applicable to toll and toll- free services                

Pursuant to paragraph 24 of Continued need for the regulatory constraints applicable to toll and toll-free services , Telecom Public Notice CRTC 2006-10, 7 July 2006 , Commission staff requests Bell Aliant Regional Communications, L.P., Bell Canada, MTS Allstream Inc., Ontera, Saskatchewan Telecommunications, Sogetel inc., and TELUS Communications Company to provide responses to the interrogatories in Attachment 1.   Commission staff requests the Public Interest Advocacy Centre to provide a response to the interrogatory in Attachment 2 .   Responses to the interrogatories are to be filed with the Commission and copies served on all other parties by 22 September 2006 .

Where a document is to be filed or served by a specific date, the document must actually be received, not merely sent, by that date.

Yours sincerely,

Suzanne Bédard
Senior Manager
Tariffs
Telecommunications

Attach.

ATTACHMENT 1 

The following interrogatories are addressed to Bell Aliant Regional Communications, L.P., Bell Canada, MTS Allstream Inc., Ontera, Saskatchewan Telecommunications, Sogetel Inc., and TELUS Communications Company.

(CRTC)1Sept06-1

Provide the following information for each of (i) residential customers, (ii) business customers, and (iii) combined residential and business customers, for the years 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005:

a)            number of basic toll customers (i.e., customers who do not subscribe to a discount toll plan);
b)            basic toll customers as a percent of total toll customers;
c)            basic toll minutes;
d)            basic toll minutes as a percent of total toll minutes;
e)            basic toll revenues;
f)             basic toll revenues as a percent of total toll revenues; and
g)            average revenue per minute for basic toll, discount toll and combined basic and discount toll services. 

(CRTC)1Sept06-2

For the year 2005, provide the following information for each of (i) residential customers, and (ii) business customers:

(CRTC)1Sept06-3

For the year 2005, provide the following information for each of (i) residential customers, and (ii) business customers:

a)            number of Telephone Devices for the Deaf (TDD) customers;
b)            number and percent of TDD customers who are basic toll customers;
c)            number and average length of tolls call subject to the TDD discount; and
d)            average length of toll calls not subject to the TDD discount; and 

(CRTC)1Sept06-4

Indicate whether the company is applying a discount of 50 percent to the following types of calls and if not, explain why not:

a)  all calls within Canada that originate from and are billed to the residence service of a registered or certified hearing or speech impaired TDD user;
b)  all calls within Canada that are routed through or by a message relay centre orservice;
c)  all calls within Canada billed to the calling card of a registered or certified hearing or speech impaired customer
d) all calls within Canada that are made from dedicated lines used by registered or certified hearing or speech impaired TDD users at their place of employment and billed to the employer; and
e) all calls within Canada made from a dedicated line leased by a business to offer TDD services to its customers. 

(CRTC)1Sept06-5

For the years 2004 and 2005 provide the following information for each of (i) residential customers, (ii) business customers, and (iii) combined residential and business customers:

a)  number and percent of basic toll customers who have used a dial-around service for some of their toll calling;
b) number and percent of basic toll customers who have used a prepaid phone card service for some of their toll calling;
c) number and percent of basic toll customers who have used other discount toll services for some of their toll calling; and
d) number and percent of basic toll customers who would have been financially better off if they had subscribed to one of the company's discount toll plans instead of using the basic toll schedules.

(CRTC)1Sept06-6

a)            List the areas in which equal access is not available and identify whether the company expects to have equal access available in each of these areas and if so, when.  
b)            Provide for each of (i) residential customers, (ii) business customers, and (iii) combined residential and business customers, the number and percent of toll customers in non-equal access served areas.
c)            Provide for each of (i) residential customers, (ii) business customers, and (iii) combined residential and business customers, the number and percent of basic toll customers in non-equal access served areas.
d)            Describe the alternative services to basic toll that are available to residential and business customers in (i) equal access served areas, and (ii) non-equal access served areas.   Indicate to what extent these alternative services are available in each of these areas.

(CRTC)1Sept06-7 

Explain, in detail, any difficulties or barriers that a basic toll customer might face in obtaining and using the alternative services to basic toll services such as voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) services, peer-to-peer (P2P) services, wireless services, dial-around services, and prepaid phone cards.

(CRTC)1Sept06-8

If the basic toll constraints were removed:

a)            Indicate whether the company would intend to provide a basic or default toll service for those customers who do not subscribe to one of the company's discount toll plans.
b)            If the answer to a) is yes, provide the following information:

i)Describe the basic or default toll service and provide the rates for this service.

ii)Explain, in detail, how the company intends to ensure that its customers are aware of the rates for the basic or default toll service.

c)            If the answer to a) is yes, indicate whether the company intends to continue to apply a discount of 50 percent to the following types of calls:

i)all calls within Canada that originate from and are billed to the residence service of a registered or certified hearing or speech impaired TDD user;

ii)all calls within Canada that are routed through or by a message relay centre or service;

iii)all calls within Canada billed to the calling card of a registered or certified hearing or speech impaired customer

iv)all calls within Canada that are made from dedicated lines used by registered or certified hearing or speech impaired TDD users at their place of employment and billed to the employer; and

v)all calls within Canada made from a dedicated line leased by a business to offer TDD services to its customers.

ATTACHMENT 2

The following interrogatory is addressed to the Public Interest Advocacy Centre.

PIAC(CRTC)1Sept06-1

Explain, in detail, any difficulties or barriers that a basic toll customer might face in obtaining and using the alternative services to basic toll services such as voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) services, peer-to-peer (P2P) services, wireless services, dial-around services, and prepaid phone cards.

DISTRIBUTION LIST

Date Modified: 2006-09-01